The Wedding Planner
by Confidential Brunette
Summary: She was the wedding planner. He was the groom. They were not supposed to fall in love. This is their story. [Olitz AU]
1. Chapter 1

**Hey y'all Gladiators! This is my first shot at writing a multi-chaptered story for this fandom, so read and review!**

* * *

"Quinn, I need the Rosen-Whelan file on my desk before I'm back from lunch okay?" Olivia Pope requested her secretary through the intercom, "I'll be back in an hour."

"No problem Ms. Pope," her secretary, Quinn Perkins, replied cheerfully, waving to her boss as she walked past her desk, "Enjoy your lunch!"

Olivia smiled politely. She liked her new secretary, really she did, but sometimes, the girl was just too cheerful. Even for her liking. But she put up with her; she was a week into the job and she anticipated Olivia's needs and did beyond what a secretary should do, which made Olivia comfortable and happy.

She exited the building, pausing for a brief second to slide on her Ray Ban sunglasses. She unlocked the door to her black BMW, which stood gleaming on the side-walk. The car had been a gift, courtesy of her father for her twenty-fifth birthday. She had a cordial relationship with him, neither too close, nor too distant. They had both drifted apart after the death of her mother, who had died from a plane accident when she was in the first year of college, studying business management. And now, six years later, she was one of the most prestigious wedding planners in Washington, where clients, ranging from A-listers in Hollywood to wealthy politicians wanted her to plan their wedding.

Changing her mind, she decided to go to the nearby bistro for lunch instead of the usual hot-dog stand which was a fifteen minute drive away. Her heels clicked-clacked on the pavement; she loved that sound, her love for shoes had started at the end of high school, where her new friend Abby Whelan had introduced her to the world of Jimmy Choo and Christian Laboutins, and needless to say, it was love at first sight.

She entered the tiny bistro, taking a deep breath of the fragrance of a blend of spices and a distinct hint of honey. Walking towards the counter, she sent a quick text to Quinn, unknowingly bumping into the person in front of her.

"Oh! I am so sorry," she exclaimed, looking up to the man. She blinked a couple of times, the man in front of her was, for a word, completely gorgeous. Thick, curly, brown hair, cerulean blue eyes and a body in fantastic shape. She could see his biceps through the black half-sleeves t shirt he wore, which was a perfect fit.

"Are you okay Miss…" the man asked, looking at her in concern. Olivia blushed, "Pope. Olivia Pope and I'm really sorry for bumping into you. Guess I shouldn't have been texting while walking…" she trailed off, giving him a sheepish smile.

"S'alright," he replied, giving her an easy smile, "I'm Fitz by the way," he said, extending his arm which she shook with a gentle yet firm grip, both pausing mid-shake as a spark went through each of their hands.

Giving each other a tentative smile, Fitz opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by the person behind the counter, asking him what he would like to buy. Quickly paying for his sandwich, he waited till Olivia had finished, glancing at the clock on the wall.

"Do you want to sit down somewhere?" Olivia blurted out, internally appalled by what she said, "But it's no issue or anything, if you don't want to-"

Fitz cut her off with an apologetic smile, "I have two meetings in the next three hours, so I really can't," he said, "I would love to, but-"

"I get it," she replied, "It was nice meeting you, Fitz."

He gave her a lopsided grin and walked out the door, giving her a small wave from the outside. She blushed and waved back, embarrassed by being caught following him with her eyes.

After she sat down in a corner booth, she mentally smacked herself in the forehead. She never behaved like that in front of people. Even gorgeous ones like Fitz. And he had made her look like a rambling school-girl. Shaking her head slightly, she began eating her salad.

* * *

"Any messages for me Quinn?" She asked, walking briskly past her secretary, " Is the Rosen-Whelan file on my desk?"

"Yes Ms. Pope," Quinn replied, giving her a gray folder, "A new client insisted on coming today at five, she gave the name Mellie Smith."

Olivia halted in her tracks, "Mellie Smith as in from the Smith Oil Company?" she asked, looking at the appointment details in Quinn's laptop, "Huh," she mused, "She's the Smith's only daughter right?"

Quinn confirmed her answer by nodding her head in affirmation, "Didn't the Smith business recently come up?" Quinn asked, curiosity written all over her face, "I heard that they were new money."

"They are," Olivia said, "Business started booming after merging with Grant Industries, the merger happened a year ago."

Quinn's eyes widened, "THE Grant Industries?"

"The one and only," Olivia replied dryly, getting into her office to get ready for the next client. The next client happened to be her best friend, Abby Whelan who was getting married to District Attorney David Rosen. Olivia and David had known each other in college, and Olivia had introduced Abby to David. Opening their folder, she reviewed the things needed to be said and done before they came in for their appointment.

* * *

"Ms. Pope?" Quinn's voice sounded through the intercom, "Mellie Smith is here."

"Send her in Quinn," she replied, pressing the button on the intercom, "And can you get me a new file please?"

Giving herself a quick once-over, she smoothed out her black slacks, removing any slight crease, putting a smile on her face, as the door opened.

"Olivia Pope?"

Her smile immediately vanished, a look of shock crossing her face. Fitz, the guy she met at the bistro stood before her, with whom she assumed was Millicent 'Mellie' Smith, his fiancée next to him, a slight frown on her face.

Quickly re-arranging her facial expressions, she smiled again, shaking his fiancée's hand warmly as she led her to one of the leather chairs in front of her desk, completely ignoring Fitz.

"Honey?" Mellie called out, "Aren't you going to sit down?"

Fitz smiled tightly, sitting down in the other chair, carefully avoiding Olivia's eyes. He bent his head down, playing Temple Run on his iPhone while his fiancée and the gorgeous wedding planner did what they had to do.

"Mr. Grant?" Olivia asked, pursing her lips as he didn't look up from his phone, apparently engrossed in his game.

"Fitz?" Mellie asked, irritation clearly shown on her face, "FITZ!" she shouted, a frown marring her pretty face, "Would it kill you to be a little attentive for once?"

He jumped a little when his fiancée yelled, tucking the phone back into his pocket, annoyed already, "What?" he asked, curtly. He sighed, Mellie's look of hurt expressing her words, "Look, I'm sorry. I promise I'll be more attentive. I've had a rough day at office. That's all," he said, placating her with a charming smile.

Olivia looked at the couple curiously, she had seen her fair share of the different experiences an engaged couple went through but theirs, Fitz and Mellie's, till date seemed downright confusing from what she had observed so far.

"Shall we decide the date then?" Olivia continued, as if the interruption never happened, "Mr. Grant, Ms. Smith, do you have any preferences or deadlines?"

"No."

"Yes."

Both Fitz and Mellie spoke at the same time, Fitz saying no, while Mellie, the opposite.

"Okay then," she smiled brightly, before anymore arguments could start, "Mr. Grant, can you care to elaborate?" This was the first time she had looked at him, directly eye-to-eye after their second encounter, and she was surprised to find his blue eyes a dull shade of light blue, almost gray.

Fitz cleared his throat, "Like I said, no deadlines, no preferences-"

Mellie cut him off, "Fitz, Daddy and Big Jerry both agreed that sooner the wedding the better right?"

Fitz looked at her, "Isn't the date supposed to be our decision?"

Before Mellie could open her mouth to respond, Olivia spoke up, "I'll tell you what, you two discuss the basic wedding details, date and the venue and get back to me, shall we say by the end of the month?"

They both nodded their heads.

"Great!" Olivia replied, she could feel the tell-tale signs of a migraine approaching and she wanted to be at home before that happened.

She gave Mellie a form to take home, so that she could fill in the details before the next appointment, which was in two weeks time.

"I'm so happy you'll be planning our wedding Olivia," Mellie gushed as she stood up, "All my friends have told me that you're the absolute best!"

Olivia smiled modestly in response, a bit startled by the hug, but she hugged Mellie back nevertheless, looking at Fitz, who dug his hands into his pockets, giving her a half smile.

"It was nice meeting you Olivia," he murmured, shaking her hand, both ignoring the spark again. Olivia nodded, unable to form words, seeing them both out of her office, before collapsing on her huge leather recliner, giving out a huge sigh and determined to solve the puzzle that was Fitz Grant.

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**Like it? Love it? Hate it?**

**I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts! Drop in a review:) But please, no flames. Constructive Criticism welcome!**

**Cheers,**

**CB**

**Twitter: ConfdBrunette**

**Tumblr: ConfidentialBrunette**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm back! I'm blown-away by your response to this story! I'm really grateful for all your reviews:) To all the guest reviews: Thanks a million! I really, really, really appreciate your input!**

**Happy reading!**

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_**Previously:**_

**_"I'm so happy you'll be planning our wedding Olivia," Mellie gushed as she stood up, "All my friends have told me that you're the absolute best!"_**

**_Olivia smiled modestly in response, a bit startled by the hug, but she hugged Mellie back nevertheless, looking at Fitz, who dug his hands into his pockets, giving her a half smile._**

**_"It was nice meeting you Olivia," he murmured, shaking her hand, both ignoring the spark again. Olivia nodded, unable to form words, seeing them both out of her office, before collapsing on her huge leather recliner, giving out a huge sigh and determined to solve the puzzle that was Fitz Grant._**

* * *

"No," Olivia said, shaking her head, "Try another one. This one looks a bit…" she trailed off, trying to find the right word for the wedding gown her friend Abby was currently wearing.

"Puffy?" Abby asked, looking at herself in the full length mirror, "It is, isn't it?" she said, looking at her best friend's reflection on the mirror.

"Try another one," Olivia suggested, "Your perfect gown is here somewhere. Trust me," she said, looking at the vast room which had at least a hundred or more wedding gowns, neatly arranged in hangers and separated by style. She another bite of the rich gooey chocolate cake, savoring the exquisite taste as Abby carefully removed the gown.

Abby looked at her jealously, "You're so lucky you get to taste that cake Liv," she muttered, "It looks absolutely divine."

Olivia smirked, "You could try it if you want," she teased, holding out another fork, grinning as Abby backed away from her outstretched hand.

"No. No way, You know I'm trying lose three pounds Liv," she said, exasperation lining her voice, "Stop tempting me!"

"Alright," she relented, taking another bite, "Less talking, more searching," she commanded, as Abby went to the strapless section to pick out another gown.

* * *

She glanced at Quinn's empty desk as she walked past, assuming that her chirpy secretary had gone for her lunch hour, she paused, glancing at the slightly open door of her office. Frowning, she was about to push the door open when she heard voices.

Of the couple that could rarely decide anything. Mellie Smith and Fitz Grant.

"Come on Fitz! Just do it will you?" Mellie's irritated voice sounded in her ears.

Rolling her eyes, she stepped into her office just as Fitz opened his mouth, "Fire her."

All three of them froze. Olivia being more angry than confused, Mellie looking exasperated and Fitz, determined.

"You'll receive my bill on Sunday," she said, her voice devoid of any emotion, looking at the two of them with a blank look.

"Olivia-" Mellie started, but Olivia cut her off, "I wish you both the very best," she said a pointed look on her face as she held the door open for them to leave.

Mellie gave her fiancé an angry look as they both walked out of the office, Fitz still having a determined look on his face.

Olivia sighed as she sat down on her leather chair, as the door shut behind the two of them. '_One less dysfunctional couple to deal with,_' she thought as she flipped open her day-planner to check who and when her next appointment was.

Seeing as her next appointment was three hours away, she decided to work on the flower arrangement for Abby's wedding, rummaging through her desk for the florist's card. After a minute of frantic searching, she realized that it would've have been in Quinn's desk.

Getting up, she opened the door, when she collided with a solid body, an apology immediately on her lips when she looked at who it was; Fitz.

"Olivia wait," he said, closing the door behind them, "I…I apologize. For firing you."

"Why?" she challenged, crossing her arms across her chest.

He looked confused, "Why do I apologize?"

"Why did you fire me?" she repeated and continued, without waiting for his answer, "I am good. I am brilliant. You would be lucky to have me. Your wedding will the best that this country has ever seen and if you don't like me to plan your wedding for some reason then-"

"You're right," he said, interrupting her, "I would be lucky to have you."

They both stared at each other, their breathing a bit labored, now noticing their close proximity, she looking up at him and his head bent. He took a step back and she could still feel the heat radiating off his body and a sudden realization struck her, "This is why you fired me," she whispered, saying the statement more for herself than him. Her eyes widened, as she took in his appearance, his blue eyes now a dark shade of gray.

"Can we just-" he started, but she finished his sentence for him, "Go back and start working again?" she finished, nodding her head in agreement.

"Everything's fine Mellie," Olivia smiled, although it was a little forced, "We just had a few creative differences. That's all," she said, glancing at Fitz, who gave her a slight smile.

Mellie looked curious, but brushed aside the topic, "Well, we set a wedding date," she said excitedly, "Fitz and I decided that we would like to get married in the month of June," she exclaimed, squeezing Fitz's hand which was on his lap. He gave Mellie a quick smile which looked more like a grimace to Olivia.

"Okay then," Olivia replied, writing down the date in the Smith-Grant file, "And the venue?"

"We're having it on the Grant Estate," Fitz spoke up, looking at her intently, "In the back-yard-"

"Can you give me the approximate size of the area?" Olivia asked, trying not to blush to his intent stare, writing down the venue in the file.

"Really big."

"16 acres."

Mellie answering the former while Fitz gave her the exact estimate.

"Whoa!" Olivia exclaimed, not able to hide her surprise, Mellie nodded smugly, "Like I said, really big."

Olivia stole a glance at Fitz who looked uncomfortable, "What about the guest-list?" he asked, trying to move on to the next topic, "How big is it supposed to be Mellie?" he asked his fiancée.

Olivia felt quite sorry for the man, who didn't seemed to be enthusiastic about his up-coming nuptials. In fact he seemed to be wanting the opposite.

Shaking her head mentally, she directed her question at Mellie, "I'm guessing you want a small private wedding?" she asked, her Mont Blanc™ pen poised over the file.

Mellie shook her head, "Oh no! I've always dreamt of a big wedding," she explained, "Maybe also include the paparazzi," she finished, not even bothering to ask her fiancé's opinion.

"What about you Fitz?"

Before he could answer, Mellie's phone rang, she looked at the two of them apologetically, "I'm sorry, I have to take this," she said as she walked out of the room, answering the phone as soon as the door closed behind her.

"Fitz?" she asked, looking at him, "I need your input too, you haven't said anything regarding any of the wedding details."

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed and Olivia realized how tired he looked, like he hadn't been sleeping well for the past few weeks, "You okay?" she asked softly, concern written all over her face.

He gave her a brief smile, a genuine one, "I'm fine. Just the wedding stress getting to me," he said, "And Mellie doesn't like anything I choose. We clash over each and every little detail."

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, her hand covering his, a little surprised to see him grip it gently. He gave her another charming grin, which melted her heart a little more, "Fitz," she whispered, "This is in appropriate," she said, looking at their enjoined hands.

"Then let's be inappropriate," he said, grinning as he gave her hand a little squeeze. She smiled hesitantly at him, blue eyes meeting chocolate brown. Olivia opened her mouth to say something but Mellie chose that moment to open the door. Their hands jerked apart, both quickly regaining their composure as the soon-to-be-bride smiled at them, a fleeting look of curiosity passing through her face which Olivia detected.

"Right," she began, clearing her throat, "I'm booking the next appointment on Tuesday, four days from today," she said, making another note on the file, "We'll be going to the florist to decide the flower arrangements."

"Why so early?" Mellie asked, "We still have seven months right?"

"There's a possibility that the flowers you choose not be available during that particular month so we may have to pre-order them," she explained as she closed the file.

"Wow, you're nothing but thorough," Fitz remarked, looking at her admirably. Mellie looked at him reproachfully, "Didn't I tell you she was the best?"

Fitz gave Mellie a brief glance, "Yeah, she is," he said, looking at Olivia who blushed prettily. He had never seen anyone so beautiful in his life and he had seen his fair share of girls.

"Bye Olivia," Mellie said, air-kissing her, "I'll you on Tuesday."

After Mellie had walked out the door, Fitz smiled at her, "Goodbye Olivia," he whispered, taking her by surprise and kissing her cheek softly.

She bit her lip, not trusting herself to speak as she nodded at him, a smile on her face as he quietly closed the door behind him, a grin on his face, for the first time in many weeks.

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**Thoughts? Review? Please? Muchos gracias!**

**By the way, I wanna follow some of you gladiators on Twitter, so follow me and I'll follow back okay? Let's fangirl together over Olitz! I'm ConfdBrunette. I dont have any friends who watch Scandal, wow, I'm looking kinda pathetic aren't I? Oh well. *Shrugs* So I need a couple of gladiator friends:)**

**And how was the latest episode? I was so happy when Fitz showed up at Liv's apartment and then my shipper heart went BOOM! I'm still picking up the pieces off the floor!**

**Anyhoo, leave me your comments!**

**Cheers**

**CB**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm back! I'm glad you all are liking the story so far:) Even to the guest reviews who kept pushing me to finally stop procastinating! LOL**

**Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to the following people who are my fellow #GladiatorSisters :**

**1. Tiffany ( Braintiff) 2. Lonnii Renae 3. Kiana Nicole 4. Helen Barry ( Scandamonium)**

**I love you all SO SO SO much! Muah! 3 3!**

**Happy reading!**

**One thing I would recommend before you start reading, is that check out the dress profile of Olivia's from this chapter. It's in my Twitter page ( ConfdBrunette) and I would like you to take a a brief moment before you continue. I feel it helps the reader visualise about the character and enjoy the story more. Thank you!**

* * *

_**Previously:**_

_**"Wow, you're nothing but thorough," Fitz remarked, looking at her admirably. Mellie looked at him reproachfully, "Didn't I tell you she was the best?"**_

_**Fitz gave Mellie a brief glance, "Yeah, she is," he said, looking at Olivia who blushed prettily. He had never seen anyone so beautiful in his life and he had seen his fair share of girls.**_

_**"Bye Olivia," Mellie said, air-kissing her, "I'll you on Tuesday."**_

_**After Mellie had walked out the door, Fitz smiled at her, "Goodbye Olivia," he whispered, taking her by surprise and kissing her cheek softly.**_

_**She bit her lip, not trusting herself to speak as she nodded at him, a smile on her face as he quietly closed the door behind him, a grin on his face, for the first time in many weeks.**_

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to taste the cake?" Olivia asked Abby, speaking to her best friend through the Bluetooth in her ear, "You know David's taste in sweets," she added, making a face at her friend's fiancé's bizarre liking of gummy bears dipped in strawberry syrup.

"Come on Liv," Abby sighed, "It's not that bad," she reasoned, only to be met with silence from the other end, "Okay so maybe it's a bit…weird, but he told me the combination-"

"Which is?"

"Plain vanilla with white flowers on each tier," she replied, "And it sounds good enough."

"When are you planning you planning your flower arrangements?" Olivia asked, opening her day planner, "We still have a lot to do for your wedding, which is like, two months away."

"I know, I know," Abby replied, "Tell you what, come home for dinner, I'm making a chicken casserole and we'll discuss the wedding details for two hours straight. I hate that freaky assistant of yours, no way am I coming to your office."

"I'm surprised you haven't turned into a bridezilla yet," Olivia commented, "I'm freaking out more than you."

"I'll be freaking out the night before I get married," Abby replied with certainty, "Trust me."

* * *

"Hi Mellie, it's Olivia," she greeted her client who responded with eager enthusiasm, "I was wondering if you wanted to join me for a wedding, maybe get a few ideas about colour patterns and just see how a wedding is planned out," she said, speaking to her car phone.

"It's the Harper-Queen wedding isn't it?" Mellie asked, waiting for a confirmation from Olivia, "We got an invitation, I'll meet you after the reception?"

"Yeah," Olivia replied, turning a left into a street, getting into the countryside, "I'll see you in an hour then," she said, cutting the line after they had exchanged goodbyes.

She hadn't expected anything less, she knew that they would be getting an invitation, after all it was billionaire Oliver Queen's sister Thea Queen, who was getting married in a few hours and it was the most talked off wedding in the US right now and The Grant Industry had recently merged with Queen Consolidated in their financial unit.

* * *

The wedding went off without a hitch with the exception of the blonde maid-of-honor who almost tripped just before reaching the alter and the seven tiered cake almost falling off the cart when being rolled out from the truck.

"Liv!" Mellie called, greeting her with open arms as Olivia hugged her back, detecting a whiff of Chanel No. 5.

"Are you seeing someone?" Mellie asked, her smile eager, "Because there's this guy…" she trailed off as Fitz smiled at Olivia, her name on his tongue like a caress, "Olivia."

"Mr. Grant," she smiled, composing herself in the nic of time, shaking his hand firmly, smile still in place, "Wow, not to come off as rude or anything, but you looked very tired," she said, one perfectly shaped eye-brow raised. Still, that man managed to look gorgeous in a suit, his slightly rumpled hair adding to the full effect. Pulling her thoughts away from her client's fiancé, she nodded her head, smiling as Mellie babbled about the place cards.

She stole a glance at Fitz, who looked ready to fall asleep on his feet any second, but still managed to interact and socialize with the guests, even though it was just the three of them standing next to the buffet table.

Her phone pinged suddenly, indicating a text from Abby. Quickly unlocking her phone, she smiled, shaking her head slightly at her friend's sassy text message and texted back a quick reply, confirming their dinner for tonight.

"I'm so sorry Mellie, but I have to go," Olivia said, looking at the bride who was gesturing to her, looking like every picture of the blushing, pretty bride.

"Oh! Go ahead, it's no issue at all," Mellie said, giving her another smile, "I'll meet you next Thursday then?"

Nodding her head in affirmation, she walked briskly towards Thea Queen, her black peep-toe pumps clacking against the marble floors. She was vaguely aware that Fitz was a few meters from her vicinity, but she quickly forgot, attending to her client's problems.

* * *

Half an hour later, she slipped out, needing a breath of fresh air as she walked towards her BMW. Settling down on the driver's seat, she kept her side of the door wide open. The weather was beautiful and she closed her eyes for a quick second, letting out a long sigh of contentment.

"Mind if I join you?"

She jumped, Fitz voice startling her. He smiled at her, his blue eyes seeming brighter to her as he slipped beside her on the passenger seat.

"Fitz!" she hissed, "One, don't ever startle me again. Two," she continued, holding her second finger up, "What if someone sees us?"

"No one's gonna know I'm even here," Fitz replied, his hand gesturing to their surroundings, "Your car is literally hidden by these trees."

"You're not supposed to be here," she whispered, "This," she said, her voice still low, "Whatever it is between you and me, has to stop."

"I'm getting married," he started, but Olivia cut him off, "I know."

"I can't…"

"And I don't want you to," she replied, her eyes wide as she looked at him.

"Can we just…sit here with me," she said, his blue eyes pleading her, "One minute, before we go back in there and face our usual lives. One minute, you're not the wedding planner and I'm not the groom, just…one minute."

She looked at him, chocolate brown eyes meeting cerulean blue, "One minute," she breathed out, consenting to his request.

They just looked at each other, both feeling an attraction that neither of them could deny. In that one minute, she was just a girl who was slowly but surely falling in love. And in that one minute, he had his life together, a life that was not dictated by his father or his over-bearing fiancée.

Olivia's phone rang, immediately breaking the spell between them, she looked at him, an unreadable expression on his face, "I have to take this," she whispered.

He nodded, getting ready to get out of her car, she placed a hand on his bicep, stilling his movements, "You can stay here if you want, get some rest," she said, a small smile on her face, "I know how tiring a jetlag can be."

He looked at her, surprise evident on his face, "It's okay, you don't have to do this," he said, not wanting pity or sympathy from her, because of his miserable life, "I'm fine."

"Fitz," she breathed, "I'm doing you a favor, what a friend would do to another, that's all," she said, biting her lower lip, her heart feeling a silent pang as she said the word 'friend'.

"Is that what we are?" he asked, turning towards her and looking at her intensely, "Friends?"

She nodded, before she could say anything, her phone rang again. Fitz nodded, "You should take that."

She looked at him, "Get some sleep, you'll need it. Trust me."

Before he could object she tossed him her keys and walked briskly towards the church, as she tactfully handled a crisis from another client.

* * *

Fitz took a deep breath as he sat an alarm on his phone, he needed the sleep. He could never function without at least five hours of proper sleep, but between his trip to Hong Kong and Mellie's insistence of his approval at every wedding detail, he was going a little crazy. And the insane amount of coffee he was drinking these days didn't help.

How was he going to continue further? He was falling for Olivia, his wedding planner no less, and he couldn't _not_ marry Mellie. His father, Big Jerry would cut him off and he would be bankrupt. Not that he cared. He sighed again, unable to keep his eyes open, he needed a plan and fast. Something before the next seven months. Before he said 'I do' to the wrong woman.

* * *

Olivia smoothed out the turquoise lace dress she was wearing, her mind still going over the conversation she had with Fitz inside her car. She was attracted to him but it wouldn't do. At all. The man was getting married and she couldn't let something like her feelings get in the way of her work and his personal life.

Glancing at the mirror in the ladies room, she re-applied her dark pink lipstick, as well as another coat of mascara. She had another appointment in another hour, a client whose wedding was taking place the next month, and that was her main priority right now. Not Fitz, who she knew had feelings for her or her irrational dislike for Mellie. Shaking her head to clear her thought, she shrugged on her black blazer, opening the door to get out of the room, she almost collided with Quinn, who looked relieved to see her.

"Miss Pope! I was searching for you all over the place," she exclaimed, her cheeks flushed, probably because of the amount of champagne that her assistant had drunk.

"Well, I do have a phone Quinn," she replied dryly, a small smirk on her face as Quinn blushed in embarrassment, "What did you want again?"

"Oh yeah, Mr. Grant wanted to give you your keys," she replied, a look of confusion on her face. Before she could as another question, Olivia replied, "I had mentioned it to Fitz and Mellie that I had misplaced it somewhere. No issues."

Quinn nodded her head, as she replied, "Right. Okay. Are we going to the office then?"

Olivia shook her head in negative, "I'm going to see Daphne Wellington and you are going home," she said, "You're already mildly buzzed," she pointed out.

Her assistant looked at her sheepishly, "I'm not fired am I?" she asked, her eyes wide, as she considered the possibility of getting sacked from her job.

Olivia sighed, "No Quinn, I'm not firing you. Just go home and make sure you're at the office at seven sharp tomorrow."

She brushed past her assistant, as she shouldered her black Michael Kors™ hand bag, testing her new client as she stepped out of the church.

* * *

**Did you like it? Hate it? Love it?**

**As always, don't forget to leave a review! They cheer me up:) Especially since my days in niversity are nothing if not horrible and mentally exhausting. Ugh.**

**Anyways, all you gladiators, follow me on Twitter, I'm ConfdBrunette I follow back and lets fangirl together! I alse tweet regualr updates about the progress of this story, so that's an added bonus! If you want to see Olivia's dress and accesessories, that's also on my twitter page, Yeah, I knw I do shameless self-promotion, but hey, *shrugs* a girl's gotta do what she has to do :) **

**Don't forget to leave a review!**

**Cheers,**

**CB**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm back! Sorry for the late update but university is kivking my ass and Ididnt find my muse untill today where I typed this chapter up in three hours straight!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Peviously:**_

_**"Miss Pope! I was searching for you all over the place," she exclaimed, her cheeks flushed, probably because of the amount of champagne that her assistant had drunk.**_

_**"Well, I do have a phone Quinn," she replied dryly, a small smirk on her face as Quinn blushed in embarrassment, "What did you want again?"**_

_**"Oh yeah, Mr. Grant wanted to give you your keys," she replied, a look of confusion on her face. Before she could as another question, Olivia replied, "I had mentioned it to Fitz and Mellie that I had misplaced it somewhere. No issues."**_

_**Quinn nodded her head, as she replied, "Right. Okay. Are we going to the office then?"**_

_**Olivia shook her head in negative, "I'm going to see Daphne Wellington and you are going home," she said, "You're already mildly buzzed," she pointed out.**_

_**Her assistant looked at her sheepishly, "I'm not fired am I?" she asked, her eyes wide, as she considered the possibility of getting sacked from her job.**_

_**Olivia sighed, "No Quinn, I'm not firing you. Just go home and make sure you're at the office at seven sharp tomorrow."**_

_**She brushed past her assistant, as she shouldered her black Michael Kors™ hand bag, testing her new client as she stepped out of the church.**_

* * *

"Thank you so much Olivia," Emma Parker gushed, as she shook the other woman's hand, "I can't thank you enough for that beautiful wedding and the holiday destination that you recommended! Something tells me we're gonna be having a honeymoon baby," the woman explained, winking, as Olivia smiled, genuinely happy for her client.

"Trust me Emma, it was no problem, you were one of the easiest people I have ever dealt with," she said sincerely, "Besides, you and Andrew are a perfect match, I knew it the minute I saw the both of you."

The blonde blushed, "I have to get going, but I just wanted to say thank you."

Olivia nodded her head, smiling as her former client closed the door behind her. This was what she loved about her job, see happy couples realize their dream, she helping them to achieve their dream.

* * *

"Mellie!" Olivia exclaimed, as she entered her office lobby, surprised to see her client, "Isn't your appointment in two days?"

The woman looked at her sheepishly, "I just wanted to know if you want to come to select my wedding gown," she said, "It's just me and my younger sister."

Olivia was taken aback, in all her years, none of her clients ever asked her to come dress shopping with her, they had just bought their dress and she went along with it, not wanting to interfere with the bride on the most important detail of the wedding.

"I'd love to Mellie, but you shouldn't start shopping for the dress yet," she said, hastily continuing as she saw the woman start to protest, "Just wait for at least three months before the wedding, otherwise your dress is going to be considered outdated by the gossip-rags and tabloids. Trust me on this," she said.

Mellie nodded her head, "Thanks for the tip, Olivia, I really appreciate it," she smiled, but Olivia noticed that the smile did not reach her eyes. Without a backward glance, her client walked out of the building.

* * *

"Okay Abby, you want a white fairy-tale wedding, you'll get a white fairy-tale wedding," Olivia announced as her best friend and fiancé sat in front of her, "First things first, the flowers are already decided, thirty dozen of white roses will be shipped by twenty seventh of next month which is exactly two days from the deadline-"

"You're calling our wedding day the deadline? That sounds romantic," David Rosen, Abby's fiancé said, his eye-brows raised.

"I see you're still the sarcastic asshole you were back in college David," Olivia shot back, one eye-brow raised and head tilted slightly to the left.

"It's nice to see you too Liv," he replied, as he turned his attention back to the BlackBerry in his hand. Abby rolled her eyes, "Ignore him Liv. His only job is to be standing at the altar in a tux and not hung-over," she stated, "Continue."

"So everything is set, except for your shoes, tiara and veil," Olivia continued, "I was thinking a pair of glass heels, so that you could feel like an actual princess."

"I'm not sure I'm gonna be comfortable if my shoes were gonna break any second, I was thinking of the white Manolo Blahniks that Kristen Stewart wore for the Twilight wedding, it looked gorgeous!"

Olivia nodded, "I'm sure that we'll be able to get a pair, so that's decided, what about a tiara?"

* * *

Sighing wearily she unlocked the door to her penthouse apartment, shrugging of the cream Burberry coat that she had been wearing that day. Pressing the button on her house telephone, the red light blinked at her, indicating that she had no voice messages. Suddenly she felt lonely. Sure she had Abby, her best friend, and so many other clients that she had bonded with over the years but she was severely lacking in the love department. She had one serious relationship that lasted through high school and the first year of college but then, she had stopped dating altogether, throwing herself into her studies and then her work. Sure she had been on a few dates here and there but no one had the immediate connection that she had shared with…Fitz.

She had convinced herself that what she felt for him was just physical attraction but her gut told her otherwise and she had always trusted her gut. Now, she wasn't so sure. But one thing she was sure of was that she was going to stop it. She was not going get involved with an engaged man and the heir to a multi-billion dollar business empire. No matter what.

* * *

She greeted Mellie as the woman smiled at her, "Nice to see you again Olivia," she said, smoothening the rich blue Michael Kors dress that she was wearing, as she sat down across her, "Before you ask, Fitz is in Hong Kong for a shareholder meeting. The Grant Industries is planning to set up another finance sector in Central District."

That had been the immediate question that had flashed across Olivia's mind when only the fiancée and not the fiancé had entered her office but she had kept her mouth shut. Clearly Mellie could see the curiosity that had been written all over her face, even if it had been for a minute or so.

"That's the main business district in Hong Kong isn't it?" Olivia asked, her voice light as she rifled through some files to get the one named Grant-Smith, "Across Victoria Harbor?"

"You've visited before?" Mellie asked her, surprise evident in her voice.

She shrugged, "Quite a few times," she said, not wanting to elaborate, "Did you and Mr. Grant finalize the guest list?" she asked, eager to get to the main point of the discussion and change the subject altogether.

The other woman nodded as she handed over a sheet of paper, "We've narrowed it down to a list of a hundred and seventy-five people," she said, "I've not included me and Fitz of course."

Olivia nodded her head, "I'm going to need a copy of this," she muttered as she pressed the intercom to call Quinn, and told her to do the essentials, "Right," she said, turning her attention back to Mellie, "Do you want to go over the colour scheme?" she asked, "Because I assume you and Mr. Grant will both need to be here to select the invitations."

Mellie shrugged, "Whatever's convenient for you," she said, her voice a bit bitter, "Fitz doesn't care about any of the wedding details."

Olivia chose wisely not to comment as she asked Quinn to get the colour scheme templates from the stockroom.

"Before we start, do you have any particular theme for the wedding?" Olivia asked, nodding at Quinn who delivered both the photocopied sheet and the templates, "My friend decided a white fairy-tale wedding for example."

"I was thinking more of a garden style wedding," Mellie replied, "Since its going to be held at the Grant Estate."

Olivia nodded her head, "See this file," she said, pointing out to a specific picture among the many on that sheet, "You'll have seventy or so small white tables with three-four chairs and those can be placed near the buffet station along with the cake as the center-piece."

"We still haven't decided on the cake," Mellie reminded her, "Maybe we should do that today."

"Don't you want Mr. Grant to be with you for that?" Olivia questioned, she had rarely seen only the bride select something as crucial to the wedding as the cake.

"Don't be silly Olivia," Mellie replied, her voice tight and smile a bit forced, "Fitz doesn't need to be there for every little detail!"

Shaking her head mentally, she grabbed her brown handbag and slipped on her white coat, "Let's not waste any time then. We'll at least lets finalize the floral list."

* * *

Wrapping her black silk scarf tighter around her neck, she pushed the door open to her flower shop, the one which she bought all her customers to. The bell jingled above their heads as she Mellie shut the door behind her, a look of mild disgust on her face.

"Are you sure we're at the right place? Because this looks quite unhygienic," she said, carefully trying to avoid the wet patches of mud on the floor.

Olivia rolled her eyes, this was her favorite place, she'd come here just to smell the flowers sometimes; the shop was run by an old woman, who was sweeter than sugar, according to Olivia, and also gave her the best discounts.

The shop was designed in such a way that there was no flooring, just mud and it was literally built like a garden, and it was the only shop that had such a wide variety of exotic flowers, perfect for the client's needs, even when they weren't in full bloom.

Covering her nose with her white scarf, Mellie looked around the place in distaste, "Surely we can go to a place better than this," she said, her voice sounding muffled because of the scarf, "Money isn't going to be a problem," she finished, a trace of arrogance in her voice, something which Olivia detested in people.

"Look Mellie," she said, her voice firm, "I brought you here because it's the best place I would recommend, so you either take it or settle for some second-rate flower arrangement whose wilted petals will be an eye-sore at the wedding."

"You may be planning my wedding Olivia," Mellie seethed, "But it's your job to provide me enough options to choose. I'm the one getting married to Fitz, not you."

The last sentence hit home and Olivia took a deep, calming breath, she had no idea why her feelings still revolved around Fitz, but Mellie had just dumped the bucket of ice-cold water of reality on her.

She schooled her expressions appropriately, "You're right Mellie, it's supposed to be your choice. You wanted a garden-themed wedding and I'd recommend a few bright pink hyacinths, orange tulips and a couple of red roses added," she said, pointing out to each flower as she said it.

Mellie nodded her head, "How about a few yellow colored flowers?" pointing to a large sunflower.

'_Way too tacky_,' Olivia thought, but out loud she said, "Yellow would be a good addition, but the size must be much smaller, if we're planning to have this arrangement on each table," she walked over to the corner of the shop and picked out a small yellow color flower, its petal length half the size of her pinky finger, "We put the entire arrangement in a crystal vase and tie it with a blush-red or pink bow."

Mellie smiled, seemingly satisfied that her idea had been incorporated, "What next?"

"We ask them to keep the arrangement ready the next six months, check if they have enough flowers in the first place and supply them with the crystal vases and ribbons."

* * *

Slamming the apartment door with her foot behind her, she kicked of her black ankle-boots, massaging her foot with one hand, as she settled on her couch, feeling too tired to get a glass of wine from the kitchen.

Struggling to keep her eyes open, she slipped into her favorite white silk pyjamas, the soft feeling of the cloth against her skin making her more comfortable.

A firm yet insistent knock on the door, made her immediately awake, knowing it wasn't Abby or David who was on the opposite side. It was almost eleven-fifteen in the night and both were busy with their parents who had come for a short visit.

Carefully peering through the peep-hole, she gasped audibly, seeing the face that had plaguing her thoughts for the past four weeks, since the time they had met.

She bit her lip, hesitant to open the door, but Fitz called out, "I know you're in there Olivia, open up."

Slowly she opened the door, greeted by the delicious image of Fitz Grant III in person dressed up in a slightly rumpled suit and even messier hair.

"What?" she asked, still standing on her doorway, crossing her arms across her chest.

He gave her a small half-smile, "Can I at least come in?"

She nodded, and let him inside, closing the door shut behind her.

"You're supposed to be in Hong Kong," she started, "And you're not supposed to be here."

He looked at her, "I came back earlier," he said, as they both settled down on the couch, sitting at least three feet apart, "And I know I'm not supposed to be here."

"I don't want to get married." There. He had said it. The one thought that was always a constant in his mind since the day his father had told him about his arranged engagement to Mellie.

She looked at him, "You're not supposed to tell me that," she said, "And I'm pretty sure the reason you don't want to get married is because of what we have."

He looked at her intensely, "What do you think we have Olivia?" he asked, his voice low. She shuddered at the deep baritone of his voice, "Physical attraction," she said, her voice a bit clearer and stronger, "What we have is nothing but physical attraction."

"You and I both know it's more than that," he whispered, moving a bit closer to her, she noticed it but chose not to comment on it, the traitorous part of her brain and heart squealing in excitement.

"Fitz-"

"Quiet," he commanded her, placing his hands on her cheeks, gently cradling her face as his lips caressed hers, smoothly sliding over hers.

She was the first to pull away, and before she could speak, he interrupted her, "Tell me what you felt wasn't mere physical attraction," he whispered, placing another soft kiss on her plump lips.

She nodded her head in agreement, too dazed to speak.

"Goodnight Olivia," he said, smiling at her as he closed the door behind him, "Goodnight Fitz," she whispered, still too distracted by the sudden turn of events.

* * *

**Your reviews feed the muse and keep me going! **

**And the outfits link of the previous chapters are on my profile page! **

**One guest reviewer said that he/she didn't like the direct quotes of the show, I'm not stealing it or anything, just borrowing them from SR and CO. But the reason I did that was to get the parallels between the show and my story. I'll try keeping it to a minmum:)**

**Any ideas and suggestions, please feel free to review/PM me, if it fits the plotline, I'll definitely credit you!**

**One more thing, I'm going to be posting Olivia's notes and check-list of the wedding (Which basically I made up) on my Twitter page, ConfdBrunette, I wanted if you guys would like sneak peeks like that or...? Its up to you guys, if it's not important to you then I'll stop, no issues:) Just tell me.**

**So review! **

**Cheers,**

**CB**

**PS: Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate Christmas, I don't, but to all those like me, Happy Holidays!**


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